Toolboxes incorporating a removable utility tray are generally well known in the industry. Typically such boxes are four-sided containers having a pivotally attached lid, and an internally directed ledge for supporting a rectangular tool tray. The tool tray is generally configured as a four-sided rectangular box, and includes a handle which extends upwardly from the ends of the tool tray. The tool tray can be lowered into the toolbox, and is there supported by the internally directed ledge of the box. Various hand tools can be stored within the confines of the tray. A user withdraws the tray by manually lifting up on the handle, and thereupon can carry the tray and its contents to a remote work site.
While the above configuration, known to the industry, works well and has been well accepted, certain shortcomings prevent it from achieving an optimal utility. One shortcoming is that the relatively small storage capacity represented by the tray limits the number of tools which can be transported from the toolbox to a work location. A second shortcoming is that the tray is generally exposed at the top, and therefore tools can fall from the tray in-transit from the toolbox to the work site. Also, because of this risk, small items such as nails or screws cannot be stored in the tray, because of the possibility of their spilling out of the tray enroute to a work site.